Closing the Circle
by Ozzyols
Summary: Iolaus and Hercules return home to Alcmene's after the events of Armageddon Now with very mixed emotions. "He knew, deep within his heart – from this day forward he wouldn’t be able to pass this spot without feeling that failure bearing down on his sou


Closing the Circle  
by: Ozzyols  
Category: Drama, h/c  
Timeline/Spoilers: Post Armageddon Now II - What happened when Hercules and Iolaus returned to Alcmene's?  
Feedback: Please  
Authors Notes: No ownership of any character or situations in this fic implied. I have hopefully given a plausible reason Alcmene didn't 'know' Iolaus for 4 and bit seasons... plus I have addressed a certain 'costuming' issue that seemed to be a bug bear for some :D

Enjoy

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Arching her back as she stood from the semi weeded garden bed a call caught her attention. Shielding her eyes with her hand Alcmene peered in the direction of the call and felt her heart lift with joy.

There was no mistaking the two forms coming up the road towards her. He could have been wearing bearskins or sackcloth and have arrived in the middle of the night, yet she still would have recognised the easy ground-eating lope of her youngest son. Now in the middle of a bright summers day with Helios' gift warming the earth, the sight of her tall, tanned son in the outfit she had made for him the previous fall made her spirit sing.

That outfit!

Every year she tried in vain to make Hercules try something new. Every year she brought new fabrics hoping – praying almost – that her suggestions for a change of style would be heeded. But every year he would put up the same argument, 'what I wear is perfect as it is, it's very practical mother that's why I like it'. She would roll her eyes at him… he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew that for all she wanted to spoil him, Alcmene was an innately practical woman. So every year – or as his adventures would require it – she would inevitably end up sewing the same light linen shirt with a chamois over vest and the same leather trousers that would invariably get damaged within a week of him getting them.

Shaking her head slightly at the thought, her attention moved to her son's companion. If Hercules was indifferent to his wardrobe, Iolaus was down right negligent! MOST of the time. His battered vest had seen more repairs than most people had seen hot meals. She struggled to remember what the garment had started out like. There had been so many patches applied to the poor beleaguered item of clothing that she doubted there was one spot left that showed the original cloth. Alcmene was of the firm belief that the sheer tenacity of its owner had imbued the article of clothing with a life force of its own! At least Iolaus was open to her seamstressly ministrations! She knew, tucked away in the clothes press inside that the energetic hunter had at least _**one**_ good outfit!

But what ever their state of fashion, it didn't matter one bit. Her boys were home! Setting aside her gardening tools Alcmene hurried down her path towards the Son she had born and the Son she had chosen.

She saw Hercules break into a jog and quickly close the distance between them. She laughed as he plucked her up and spun her around in a fierce bear hug.

"Put me down Hercules" she gasped with a giggle as he started randomly pecked kisses on her cheek. Grinning like a schoolboy Hercules lowered her back to earth.

_He looks ten years younger_, she thought to herself. His face was aglow with a youth and vitality that she hadn't seen since before Deianira had been taken from him.

"Alcmene have you seen my whetstone? I'm sure I left it on the table last night." Mother and son turned back to the house in time to see Jason step out onto the porch looking over to where Alcmene had been. The former king of Corinth scanned the yard until he spotted the reunion at the end of the path. "Hercules? Iolaus? By the Gods!" he crowed as he dropped the skinning knife he was carrying down onto a bench and hurried down the to greet them.

"Jason!" Hercules beamed as he offered his arm in greeting.

"It's great to see you buddy!" Jason grinned clasping his friend proffered arm. "What brings you back here?"

"What? A son can't come home just to say hi?" Hercules joked. "We were in the neighbourhood and since Mother is always saying I don't visit often enough…"

"I _never_ say that!" Alcmene admonished lightly slapping her son's upper arm!

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean you don't think it. And it doesn't mean it's not true!"

"Well whatever reason, it's good you're here." Jason grinned. "C'mon – let's go up to the house."

Alcmene smiled contentedly as the two men moved off. Whatever it was that had put Hercules in such a good mood she didn't care – it was just good to see him smile after so long.

A scuffled movement drew her attention back to the forgotten member of the reunion. Off to one side, uncharacteristically quiet, stood Iolaus. Alcmene studied the warrior's face. The grin that had looked so boyish on her son's face was noticeably lacking on his partners. She had grown so accustomed to seeing that cheeky expression on Iolaus, that without it he looked like a different person. There was a smile on his face – and she knew he was happy to be here, but there was a tightness around his eyes, a wariness she couldn't quite place.

Moving over to him, she opened her arms and was rewarded with a similar response. Grasping him into a tight embrace squeezed him firmly to her.

"Welcome home Iolaus."

She felt him stiffen slightly in her arms as he drew in a deep breath.

"Thanks Alcmene" he responded hoarsely.

Moving back a step she studied the hunter closely. The smile was still there, like someone had nailed it firmly in place, but the tightness in his eyes had increased.

"What is it?" she prompted.

"Nothing… nothing at all." The words said one thing, but the infinitesimally small catch in his voice said something else. She wanted to prod him, dig out the root of his problem, but she knew it would take time. Getting Iolaus to open up was like cultivating her garden… time, love and tenderness… that's all he needed.

"Walk with me?" She said, looping her right arm through his left.

With a chuckle that sounded much more like the Iolaus she knew and loved, he placed his right hand on hers. "My pleasure." They strolled in silence back up towards the house. "The garden looks wonderful as always" Iolaus commented off hand.

"I'm very pleased with it…" she smiled. "Of course, Jason isn't so pleased with chasing the livestock out of the vegetables – but it gives him something to do."

Iolaus giggled beside her… Alcmene cast a sly grin at her walking partner… yes… she would find out what was going on soon enough.

Ahead of them Hercules appeared in the doorway of the house. "You coming or what?"

"At once my liege!" Alcmene mocked dipping into a flawless curtesy mid step, nearly over balancing Iolaus. She was rewarded with a grunt and a shrug from her son as he turned back inside.

"Women!"

The afternoon passed in relaxed comfort for the four occupants of the house. Domestic chores long ingrained in the memories of men of the house fell into familiar routine. Iolaus had helped Alcmene in the kitchen to prepare a light lunch for them all, after which Hercules had retreated to the woodpile, reducing a cord of wood to manageable sizes and kindling before stacking what would probably last all winter against the side of the house. Jason had returned to his previous task of setting about to sharpen every blade on the property.

Alcmene watched the domesticity with a shrewd eye. Jason was acting like Jason always did – there was nothing strange there, but something was going on with Hercules and Iolaus. Hercules had never been stinting with his affection for his mother, but now there was an intensity to it and she kept catching glances from Iolaus, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't or wouldn't.

As the day wore on, Alcmene knew she was missing something. It was right at the edge of her memory… teasing her… it was something important… and if she could remember what it was, she _knew_ it would explain everything!

As Helios began to dip behind the tree line the farmstead began to settle. Behind her Hercules and Jason had retreated to the chairs in front of the hearth and were engaged in a lively conversation about… something to do with the Argo… she rolled her eyes. The one thing she had learned was never come between a man and his ship. Glancing up out her window, Alcmene could make out the solitary form Iolaus standing out in the yard.

Throwing a light shawl around her shoulders to ward of the encroaching evening chill, she went outside.

His location didn't go unnoticed by the mother of Hercules. He was standing at the foot of Amphitrion's grave. As she approached she could see that the hunter was staring blankly at the plot of barren earth just to the left of her late husband's final resting place.

He had come out here for a breath of fresh air, to clear his head. How he had ended up right at this spot he wasn't sure. His mind was still reeling from everything that had happened. Everything he had seen. The images of the past few days were destined to stay with him forever.

Part of him told himself to forget it, in the end everything had turned out fine… but that part wasn't strong enough to make him forget that he had failed first. Maybe this was why he found himself here? He knew, deep within his heart – from this day forward he wouldn't be able to pass this spot without feeling that failure bearing down on his soul.

"Iolaus?"

Her gentle voice startled him.

Turning on his heel, he found himself captured by the loving, gentle, trusting eyes of his best friends mother. Her words of a lifetime ago echoing in his brain '_with a friendship like yours, my son must be very special… he has a lot to live for, and so do I_!'. Then why did he feel so bad?

Turning to face her Alcmene could see the raw pain flicker through Iolaus' eyes – her boy was hurting – and hurting badly. And the sad thing was, she was certain that Hercules wasn't even aware. Looking down at the grave and back up at the warrior another memory teased her. Why had he come here? This was the key… now, here. If she could unlock the memory fleeting at the edge of her mind, she would understand.

"Alcmene… I…" Iolaus stammered.

Taking both of his hands in hers she looked deep into his azure eyes. Holding his gaze firmly in her own she fought to piece together shards of a memory. Amphitrions grave? Not like it was now… newer… Iolaus – fear in his eyes, but Iolaus as he was now… A woman… bent on destruction … Fire… Iolaus pushing her to safety…

With sudden divine clarity the floodgates of her mind opened and memories decades old poured into her consciousness. An unknown warrior standing up to defend her from an insane goddess. Defend her and defend her unborn child.

Alcmene felt her eyes widen in surprise. Iolaus flinched in front of her. He knew she had remembered.

"It's happened hasn't it? You went back didn't you?"

She didn't need an answer. It was all there to be read on the blond hunters face. The worry, the fear, the joy and elation, everything – every emotion wrapped up in the now trembling man in front of her.

"Oh Iolaus". Reaching out her hand, she laid it gently on the younger mans cheek.

The stoic façade that he had been struggling to hold onto crumbled under that loving touch and the tears he had been battling to suppress all day broke free of his control. He felt foolish letting his emotions get the better of him, but under Alcmene's compassion filled gaze he felt safer than he had for a very long time. Letting the woman he would happily call mother encircle him with her loving arms, he let go of everything he had bottled up inside.

He would never tell her why he cried. From him she would never learn how close it had been. She didn't need to be told… she already knew. At the moment she remembered the events of over three decades ago another memory had returned to her – the memory of her Son's birth, and the arrival of his father. He had come to her many times in the intervening months between her adventure with Iolaus and Hercules birth. At first the King of the Gods had been furious that she had learned of her sons parentage in the manner she had and in his anger he had told her the story of how close she had been to obliteration. She had informed him in no uncertain terms that he could either just accept that she knew it, or leave – the choice was his! Zeus had chuckled at her spunk and willing capitulated to the mortal woman he adored.

Laying there that day, her newborn son nestled in the arms of his father Alcmene made her request. She feared for the future… for her son's future and begged Zeus to lock away the memories of Iolaus and Callisto from her. Surprised Zeus questioned his beloved's choice. Her reasoning was simple. Knowing what she did, could she be certain that the choices she would make were truly the right ones? Or would they forever be tinged with possibility of what if? She needed to know that her son would grow up to be the best friend of the brave warrior she had met without interference or influence.

Astounded by her perception and humility Zeus had agreed – with a caveat. That when and if the events in the future brought Iolaus back to save the past, then and only then would her memories return. And so they had.

Gently stroking the back of the hunters blond head, Alcmene raised her eyes to the heavens. Today the circle had been closed and now the future could move forward once more. She didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but for now it was enough that she was surrounded by those she loved most in the world… She didn't know how long Hercules would be home this time – but for now that didn't matter – he was home… and as for Iolaus?

As if in response to her thought, the hunter moved back from her, sniffing and furiously wiping the tears from his face. She smiled a questioning smile at him and was rewarded with a shaky one in return. "Now." She said matter-of-factly "I need a drink. What about you?"

He grinned at her – this time, it was the grin of the young man she new and loved.

"Sure, why not?" he replied. Once more tucking her arm beneath his, the two of them walked back over towards the house – the sounds of heated friendly banter carried to them on the wind. "They're not still arguing over the Cretan journey are they?" Iolaus asked as they stepped through the doorway. "You've both got rocks in your heads!" he laughed at the two friends. Giving her a quick peck on the cheek Iolaus winked and went over join them.

Alcmene sighed contentedly. And as for Iolaus… He would be as he ever was – stalwart, brave, loyal and loving… and no better friend and partner for her son… or herself.

Finis


End file.
